Suction-inducing and fuel-feeding device



1. C. COULOMBE. suclo-N INouclNG AND FUEL FEEDlNG DEvlct. 1 APPLICATION FIlED JULY I9. 1916.- ,1,365,661. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.r

TTOHNEY WW1) :IKMN

Wl TNESSES:

' um produced at the tus having UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE.

JOSEPH c.

co'ULoMBE, or LOWELL, MASsiioHUsET'rs.A

' sUcTIoN-INDUCING AND FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE.

1,365,661. l Application sied July 19,

suction inducing means produced by the apparatus in conjunction with which ing apparatus is combined.

t relates more particularly to an apparaa. newI principle of operation, as compared with my co-pending application, Serial No. 32,927, led June '8, 1915, and involves the use of the vacuum roduced in the manifold in conjunction wit the vacuexhaust side of a gas engine as will bemore fully described hereinafter. l

The object of the invention is to provide a means for producing suction or vacuum in conjunction with a feeding apparatus by utilizing the exhaust velocity of gases or vapors through the use of an ejector.

- A further object is to provide a means for increasing the suctional action and its eiliciency by decreasing the weight of the liquid the feedcolumn which must be raised thereby.

y I.vacuum or suction was broken, y ,tents of the vessel was permitted to flow oiinism dependent A still further object is to arrange a mechaupon the manifold suction in conjunction with the exhaust action which will simplify the parts of the feed apparatus that are in direct control of the fuel which is to be raised from the source of supplyaiid fed to thecarbureter or otherv device of the engine.

In devices heretofore usedand such as described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 32,927-, filedl June 8, 1915, the suction induced at the manifold or at a point above the carbureter of an engine has been utilized in conjunction with a chamber or chambers controlled by valves for maintaining a. suc-` tion until a predetermined volume of liquid wasdrawn into the chamber. Thereupon, through float devices or other apparatus, the

and the conward and finally reach the carbureting mechanism.

IThe present inyention has to do with an arrangement which will do away with air 4Specification of Letters Patent.

point above the source of sup- J p tank;

Patented Jan. 18, 1921. 1916. Serial No. 110,010.

valves and complicated devices in the suction and distributing chambers of the heretofore described and known devices, and will give an efficient supply of fuel at all times and under all gine. v

Referring to the drawings:

conditions of operation of the en-I' igure 1 is a somewhat, diagrainmatic` view illustrating the connections and appurtenant parts between a fuel tank, fuel-feeding device and the carbureter of an engine.

1g. 2 is a sectional view o f a distributing tank.

Fig. is a detail connections between the manifold suction, exhaust suction and the y Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view of a form o f connection in the exhaust side of the en-' gine.

an engine, and the suction effect is ordinarily controlled in the distributing chamber by a float which actuates valves, so that the vacuum will be broken through theopening of an air valve upon in the chamber to permit passage of said liquid out of the distributing chamber or In such devices Areliance is placed upon the viously is an extremely variable quantity and depends entirely upon the variability of suc-.l

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View of the I.

Such systems and a certain rise of liquidthe balance which is required in the distributing chamber has been sectional view of the 7'0 distributing tank.

detail View of a modi- 95 l suctionin the manifold, which suction obinto tliedistributing l iseaeei.

It relies for its action very largely upon the variations in exhaust pressures and, obviously, the exhaust pressures of an engine are the greatest when the engine throttle is wide open. This condition will give a proper suction when there is the least suction action in the manifold.

It follows that when one suction is at its maximum, the other is at its minimum, and

by providing adevice in the system as hereinafter'described to secure the greatest balancebetween these two factors, a substantially-perfect action is provided for the suction of the distributing tank.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, denotes a manifold of an engine having a carbureter 2, of any suitable type.

There is a distributing tank 3, located above thelevel of the carbureter and engine and a main supply tank 4, ordinarily located below the distributing tank and below the c'arbureter.` The engine is illustrated as having an exhaust pipe 5, with the usual muffler 6.

For producing suctionin the tank B, there is a connection 7, to a valve fitting 8, which fitting is located between the tank 3, and the manifold 1. i

It has a connection 9, with the manifold and a connection 10, with an ejector upon the exhaust system of the engine.

Eachof the connections 9 and 10, where they enter the fitting 8, are controlled by ball. o'r other suitable check valves of an suction from the manifold through the connection9, or that throug'h the connection 10 is predominant, each will have its individual predominant action through the connection 7,upontlie tank 3.

The connection 10, terminates in an ejector 13, which is shown in detail in Fig. 44.-

and is arranged in a shunt pipe 14, extending out of the exhaust pipe 5, at or near its connection with the engine and terminating beyond the muffler 6,' as in the tail pipe 15.

This ejector 13, is designed to actin con* junction with the exhaust gases, which gases l' passing into it will be ejected through a [bell-shaped contracted nozzle 16, and will then -expand and enter a bell-shaped receiving nozzle 17, from which they will pass into suction action at the tail pipe 15- rangement in that the initial shunt line for gases from the exhaust pipe 5, will pass through the ejector exerting there initial pressure, and this will be enhanced by the Thus, the suction at the connecting point 19, of the connection 10, will be materially increased over the suction induced by the velocity of thegases passing through the fitting 8, and its nozzle 1G. y

The suction produced by this ejector litting will increase with the increase of exhaust pressures, and the increase is the greatest when the engine throttle is wide open.

On the other hand, the suction induced from the manifold l, and the connection 9, will be at a minimum when the engine throt* tle is wide open and will be at a maximum when the throttle is substantially closed.

It follows that when the suction at the manifold is at a minimum the ejector 18, will be at a maximum and vice versa. l't follows that there will be a. substantial suc tion upon the tankl 8, under all conditions of operation of the engine. The unbalanced or differential suctions between the manifold and fitting 18, will be taken care of by the valves 11, 12, in the fitting 8.

vWhen the engine is laboring and turning over very slowly the suction, even with the throttle wide open, which is induced through the exhaust ejector may be at a minimum. This, of course, is due to the lapse of time between explosions and although each explosion may furnish a full maximum of suction iii the ejector 13, it will lose a great deal of its suction effect on the tank 8, due to the lapse of time .between explosions. Under this condition, the average suction produced between the high point and low point may not always be quite sufficient to raise the column of fuel from the supply tank 4, by direct suction lift. automatic type 11, '12, so that whether the To counteract this condition, it is desirable to lighten the column of fuel existing between the supply tank 4, and distributing chamber 3, interposing therein certain :volumes of air.

It is to be understood that the level of fuel in the distributing tank 8, is-controlled within reasonable limits by a lioat 3, which has a valve 3, that controls the inlet connection 8c, which communicates with the main supply'tank or source 4.

Tn order to provide a lightening of the "weight of the column of fuel between thev lOF.

this bell-shaped mouth is introduced the end i of an air tube 21, connected to the atmosphere `as at 22.

Suction induced in the distributing chamber 3, is effective upon the connecting pipe y 3, and this suction will draw in alternate volumes of air and fuel with the result that the column in the pipe line 3, will have alternate layers .of air and liquid, thus substantially lightening the column in the pipe as compared with said column when lille-d with liquid. For example: If the relative volumes of air and liquid are substantially equal, the weight of the total column is only half as liquid.-

lreat as it would be were it rsolid f the air bubbles predominate and were three times as Alarge as the liquidbubbles, the totalcolumn would be approxi- .mately four timeslighter, thereby requiring only one fourth as muchsuction to raise the column for a given height.

The main suppl tank 4, is presumed to have a substantla ly airtight cap 23, and,

' of course, as the liquid level in said tank bubbles will not enter the bottom of the tube 2,5, but will enter at thev restricted portion of the ybell-shaped end thereof, where they arg admitted by the U-shaped atmospheric meer It will be understood from'the above that there is a variable condition substantially automatic in its action for inducing a suitvable suction in the distributing tank 3,l

whether said suction is induce directly from the manifold or from the exhaust side of the engine. It is apparent that the connection 2, between the distributing tank 3 and carbureter must be of a suilicient size to take care of air bubbles while it is delivering its fuel to the carbureter. It is also quiteapparent that there must beA a properV ratio existing between'the height of the tank 3, the supply tank 4 andthe carbureter 2. For instance, the tank 3, must be located at 'a suliicient height above the carbureter so that the liquid column in the pipe 2, will be at least one half the height of the column in the pipe 3, from the supply tank 4, to the distributing tank 3. The l1 uid volumes in this case must be equal to t e air volumes, so that the total weight of the column in the pipe 3, has been lightened one half. That is, the weight. of the column in the pipe 2, must be greater than the weight of the colvleading to the carbureter.

suction in the distributing chamber 3, .is

l.umn in the pipe 3. With alternate bubbles of air and liquid of equal volume, the rise from the tank 4,'to the tank 3, can be twice as great as the drop from the tank 3, to the carbureter 2. In practice, with the suction connection 7, having an orifice of approxiu mately .040 inch in diameter and fuel pipes 2, 3C, of inch diameter and a rise from the carbureter to the chamber 3, of at least one half or more than the height of the rise from the tank 4, to the liamber 3,

vsatisfactory operation will be attained with air and liquid bubbles of equal volume in the pipe 3. The tank 3, must always be located at such a 'height and the proportions .B0

of the pipe line 9', and pipe line 3c, must be such that the weight of liquid in the column of the pipe line 2, is sli htly greater than in the pipe line-3c. Wi e latitude may be given to this condition byvarying the design to provide -air bubbles of greater or less size 1n the pipeline 3c. The operationV I of the device will be obvious. There is a l continuous suction in the distributingtank 3, which draws up fuel from the tank 4, through the pipe 3, the column of li uid being lightened by the air bubbles. uel will flow to the carbureter through the pipe i 2, while fuel` is being drawn into saidtank,

due to the factv that the column of fuel being raised is lighter than the column of fuel greater than the weight ofl the solid column in the pipe 2, (which can occur when the valve 3", is-closed) a small quantity of air is drawn u throughthe pipe/2", from the carbureter owl. his reduces the vacuum in the suction chamber, allowing more fuel to flow to the carbureter. There `is, of course, ariintermittent flow to the carbu- Whenever the reter in this instancebut the intervals oc.-

curso rarely and `with such rapidity of action that there is no appreciable effect noted in the action or proper functioning of the carbureter.

The invention, while illustratedA somewhat diagrammatically herein in one form, is -of course subject -to such modifications as the exi encies of any particular case require; an the details may be varied to a consider able extent soflong as there is a double acting distributin chamber, which will befactive with the t rottle wide open orr withthe throttle nearly closed. Of course, the same suction Vapparatus herein described l`'may be applied to a distributing tank of the type illustrated in .-my co-pendlingi application heretofore referred to or, in fact, to any of the various types of distributing tanks used in fuel feed apparatus with marked advanand compensating suctionprovided for the A tages due to the constant character of the suction on closedor open throttle. How` ever, when you use the distributing tank as illustrated herein and in conjunction with the lightened fuel column between the supplytank and distributing tank, perfect feeding action forvthe carbureter issecured even when the engine is idlingV and comparatively slight suction'effect is produced 'at the exhaust. Obviously, it is not imperative that the suction induced by the movement of the exhaust gases shall be secured through an individual pipe line and ejector as the ejector might be arranged directly in-*the exhaust pipe line. In fact,l the fittings may. be designed and arranged in any suitable manner to effect the novel results set forth.

'i What I claim as m invention and `desire to secure by Letters -1,.' Inja fuel feeding device for engines,

atent is:

a source of fuel supply, a distributing chamber located above said source, and a fuel supply'conduit from the source of fuel to the distributing chamber, meansl for subjecting said distributing chamber to suction induced in the manifold of the engine, means for inducingl suction in said chamber through the movement of the exhaust gases of the engine, and a float controlled valve in the distributing chamber for controlling the fuel suppl? conduit. i

2. s n a device of the character described, a source of fuel supply, a distributing chamber located above said source and receiving v its supply therefrom, a valve controlled suction vconnection between the distributing chamber "and the intake side of the engine, and a 'valve controlled suction connection between the distributing chamber and the exhaust side of the engine. Y

3. a device of the character described, aA supplytank, a distributing chamber located above said tank and receiving its supply of fuel therefrom, means for inducing suction in said distributin chamber including a shunt pipe lconnecte with the exhaust line of the engine in yfront of and at the yrear i of the Inuier, an ejector' arranged in said shunt line and connections from said ejector to the distributing chamber.

4. In a' fuel feeding device for engines,

fuel supply tank, 'a distributing chamber located above said tank and receivincF its supply therefrom, a carbureter located below said distributing chamber and above the fuel tank, 'a connection from the fuel tank to the distributing chamber, a connection from the distributing chamber to thev carbureter, -a suction connection for the distributin chamber, a connection therefrom to the in et side of the engine and a connection therefrom to the exhaust side of the engine, and means for intermittently introducing volumes of air to the connection from the fuel tank to the distributing chamber wliere- 'connected with said exhaust pipe substantially remote from the engine, whereby an ejector and suction effect are produced upon the ejector by the movementof the exhaust gases, and a connection from said ejector to the suction chamber.

JOSEPH C. COULOMBE. `litnesses J. ALBERT Hose,`

GEORGE D. CROWELL. 

